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I liked the mystery far more than the characters. I only got a vague sense of Sweden from it, but maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.
Review to come.
Review to come.
This is one of my very favorite books. I have read it more times than I care to count. And no review??
How does anyone review a book that they love more than some of their own family? I am incapable of being critical to any faults Geek Love might have. I only see the shining light of "SO GOOD".
None of the characters are likable, which is generally an enormous turn off for me in fiction. Despite this (non)flaw, I was immediately drawn into this bizarro twisted literary fiction in a way that I have yet to replicate with any other novel.
M's rating: 3/5
How does anyone review a book that they love more than some of their own family? I am incapable of being critical to any faults Geek Love might have. I only see the shining light of "SO GOOD".
None of the characters are likable, which is generally an enormous turn off for me in fiction. Despite this (non)flaw, I was immediately drawn into this bizarro twisted literary fiction in a way that I have yet to replicate with any other novel.
M's rating: 3/5
The descriptions of the foot-binding process are not for the faint-hearted. I cringed through the whole chapter and then further winced any time Snow Flower or Lily were ever mentioned to be walking, even after their feet had "healed".
Prior to reading this, I had gifted a copy to a mentor of mine as I was leaving an internship. I can only imagine what she must have thought of my tastes, reading scenes like this:
M's rating: 3/5
Prior to reading this, I had gifted a copy to a mentor of mine as I was leaving an internship. I can only imagine what she must have thought of my tastes, reading scenes like this:
One day, as I made one of trips across the room, I heard something crack. One of my toes had broken. I thought the sound was something internal to my own body, but it was so sharp that everyone in the women's chamber heard it. [...] By nightfall the eight toes that needed to break had broken, but I was still made to walk. I felt the broken toes under the weight of every step I took, for they were loose in my shoes. The freshly created space where once there had been a joint was now gelatinous infinity of torture.
M's rating: 3/5
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)
I'm (obviously) a fan of Trevor Noah; I think he's done well to fill the big shoes of Jon Stewart, his predecessor on The Daily Show. So I was already predisposed to like this memoir when I picked it up, but I think it could entertain the average open-minded nonfan as well.
Each chapter opens with a page about the history of colonization, oppression and apartheid that South Africa was steeped in over centuries of European rule. About half-way through, these mini-history lessons became less general and more personal in how they applied to him, but not less informative. I have never learned so much broad history from a such scant offerings.
His breakdown of the relationship between racism and language is beautiful and succinct: "If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu. If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn't look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you."
Trevor's love for his mother comes through clearly and constantly, even when he is numerating all the ways they clashed (his mischievous ways as a child, his devil's advocate stance in regard to her piousness, etc.) He foreshadowed the violence they would face at the hands of his stepfather early on and that hung over every interaction he wrote about her like a vulture waiting to swoop in - it was bittersweet to read about the funny moments he had with his mother, knowing she would soon be a victim of domestic abuse. The acknowledgement of both his original anger at why she stayed and his ignorance of how abusive relationships worked is unusual, but I think it exemplifies the good man he grew up to be, the good man his mother raised against so many odds.
M's rating: 4/5
Each chapter opens with a page about the history of colonization, oppression and apartheid that South Africa was steeped in over centuries of European rule. About half-way through, these mini-history lessons became less general and more personal in how they applied to him, but not less informative. I have never learned so much broad history from a such scant offerings.
His breakdown of the relationship between racism and language is beautiful and succinct: "If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu. If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn't look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you."
Trevor's love for his mother comes through clearly and constantly, even when he is numerating all the ways they clashed (his mischievous ways as a child, his devil's advocate stance in regard to her piousness, etc.) He foreshadowed the violence they would face at the hands of his stepfather early on and that hung over every interaction he wrote about her like a vulture waiting to swoop in - it was bittersweet to read about the funny moments he had with his mother, knowing she would soon be a victim of domestic abuse. The acknowledgement of both his original anger at why she stayed and his ignorance of how abusive relationships worked is unusual, but I think it exemplifies the good man he grew up to be, the good man his mother raised against so many odds.
M's rating: 4/5
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A solid small town mystery taking place in the drought-laden Kiewarra, Australia. You will never forget it's Australia either, on account of the consistent mention of spiders and venomous snakes.
I have nothing new or exciting to say about this story; it was an enjoyable read, but I wasn't champing at the bit to find out whodunit. The loose ends left byfinding out narratively that Ellie's father was the cause of her death, but will never be blamed strengthened the overall novel for me - not everything can be fixed and tied into a neat little bow. Still, connection to Aaron Falk, our protagonist, never fully happened for me. Emotional investment in the character, if not the plot, is very important to me personally and it fell flat. I can only give The Dry a steady three stars.
I have nothing new or exciting to say about this story; it was an enjoyable read, but I wasn't champing at the bit to find out whodunit. The loose ends left by
3.5 stars, for the hardcore lady-types.
I have always enjoyed Noelle Stevenson's quirky artwork, from her tumblr posts to her short story "Sweater Bandit" in the Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake miniseries. Lumberjanes is basically an extension of that sense of humor and style, even if she isn't the main interior artist. The language and tone are definitely, definitely reminiscent of Finn/Fionna while the plot reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls and Ripley is basically a more articulate version of Donnie from The Wild Thornberries. This is a series that is built on a lot of the creators' influences and it shows, but still makes room for the original bits and bobs.
(April is me and I am April)
Each issue opened up with a selection from the Lumberjanes Field Manual, which was usually informative and subtly spoopy: "The Up All Night badge is for the Lumberjane that has already conquered the unknown in the daylight and is read to explore the adventure of the night, ready to discover how to use all the ways of getting from one place to another."
This is a super cute all-ages comic in an industry that doesn't really encourage many of the things Lumberjanes focuses on. Straight from their manual: "... by training with their fellow Lumberjanes, they will learn to trust in not only each other, but in themselves and the skills they already possess." A heady lesson that is necessary for us to make sure all girls grow up to know!
Also, just in case:
I have always enjoyed Noelle Stevenson's quirky artwork, from her tumblr posts to her short story "Sweater Bandit" in the Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake miniseries. Lumberjanes is basically an extension of that sense of humor and style, even if she isn't the main interior artist. The language and tone are definitely, definitely reminiscent of Finn/Fionna while the plot reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls and Ripley is basically a more articulate version of Donnie from The Wild Thornberries. This is a series that is built on a lot of the creators' influences and it shows, but still makes room for the original bits and bobs.
(April is me and I am April)
Each issue opened up with a selection from the Lumberjanes Field Manual, which was usually informative and subtly spoopy: "The Up All Night badge is for the Lumberjane that has already conquered the unknown in the daylight and is read to explore the adventure of the night, ready to discover how to use all the ways of getting from one place to another."
This is a super cute all-ages comic in an industry that doesn't really encourage many of the things Lumberjanes focuses on. Straight from their manual: "... by training with their fellow Lumberjanes, they will learn to trust in not only each other, but in themselves and the skills they already possess." A heady lesson that is necessary for us to make sure all girls grow up to know!
Also, just in case: